Zafra
"You'll never see anywhere like it. Yes, there is a curse, but there is so much more than that. There is a people, strong and proud, who live despite it. For all the city is damned by fate it is blessed by valor and strength of character. My greatest shame is failing to stand for those same virtues I admire so much." -Franzik Futherwald Zafra is a state located in western Etan. Once a prosperous and growing land, Zafra has transformed into a regressive military dictatorship. Zafra is most infamous for the deadly curse at the root of its founding, the Curse of Bloody Cassandra. History Foundation ''"To understand Zafra and its history you must look back to its beginnings and spy the seed of rot that was planted alongside it. Zafra's people suffer now for the bloody sin of their forefathers, though they themselves are not entirely blameless. Zafra is trapped in a cycle of curse, it is wound by choking weeds and as much as I might hope, I see no escape for it. Not now, not ever." - ''Sanra Borgin, Curse Scholar The state of Zafra began with the founding of the city of the same name. The city was established by a group of primarily human settlers led by a powerful witch known today as Cassandra. Some accounts posit that Cassandra and the settlers were exiles from nearby Osana while others claim that they were sent as an expedition from Jurt to the north. Zafra quickly flourished. Through determined expansion and trade Zafra was able to solidify control over the southern portion of the river Zaf. At a time before the formation of Grostere, Zafra was the prime location for commerce with Vhir and the Dragonlands. Within a generation Zafra had already swelled into a powerful nation. Jewels and exotic goods flooded in from Okarthel and beyond, travelling up the river on great barges to eager buyers in the Thoruum, Osana and the northern kingdoms of man. Zafra city became a bustling center of commerce and culture and was at the time one of the largest cities in Etan. Sin and Curse Zafra became the defining power on the west coat of continental Etan but its success also served to make its throne all the more desirable. For decades Zafra had been led by the witch Cassandra who's leadership was confident and above reproach. Despite her proven worthiness, the witch was not universally loved within Zafra's borders. Her political opponents had long been planting seeds of doubt within the populace. Many were skeptical of her enduring youth, some claiming she used dark magics to remain forever young. Others thought a woman, let alone a witch, was unfit to lead a country of such size and believed that Cassandra should relinquish her power. Cassandra's reign was brought to a sudden close not from a civil uprising nor a political gambit but by a knife in the hand of her closest companion. Cassandra's lover, who's name has been lost to time, took her unawares and slit her throat. As the witch died she cursed the ground she bled on, sealing the spell with her final breath. Cassandras killer was soon exposed and Zafra's people in uproar, demanding he be put to death. Their cries went unanswered and no execution took place. Instead Zafra's leaders stalled and quibbled, none of them willing to act. Cassandra's killer was guilty no doubt but Zafra's populace had grown lazy and complacent. There was much talk of uprising and justice but in time it faded. Cassandra's detractors twisted the truth to paint her as a deplorable dictator and Zafra chose to accept this easy truth. In time the voices of the accusers grew silent and a murderer was crowned king. The Night of the Wrothful Moon Zafra continued to flourish and grow for a time after Cassandra's death until catastrophe fell upon the land during the Night of the Wrothful moon. Cassandra's curse manifested as the full moon lingered in the sky, bathing the land in the energies from the Silver Veil as a conduit was formed between the plane of Eschensil and Zafra. The curse caused wild and chaotic magic to wrack the land. Strange beasts emerged from thin air, man changed to monster and strange phenomena occurred across Zafra. The havoc caused by the curse continued for a full turn of the moon before it began to abate. In its wake Zafra was left devastated. In the chaos, dozens of villages had been wiped out, commerce had come to a complete halt and Zafra's most powerful elite, including its king, had vanished. Zafra quickly came apart at the edges, with isolated lords breaking off and forming their own freeholds and baronies. Zafra's culture shifted drastically, with populations becoming concentrated in fortified hamlets, under the protection of lords who could afford to retain a host of warriors capable of maintaining safety. Strength in Leadership Zafra continued to decline in the following years. The curse lingered over the land, waxing and waning with the phases of the moon. Populations became increasingly isolated due to the risks of travel and the wealth that once flowed from the Dragonlands dried up as merchants chose to sail the coast rather than brave the river. Zafra met its lowest point when its capital was brought low by the vampire lord Raf Stenlik, who swept over the city with a horde of both undead and living thralls. Zafra's ousted city-watch departed the city, becoming a roving mercenary band under the leadership of a former watch-captain named Franzik Duin. Duin band would travel the length and breadth of Zafra, guarding isolated settlements from perils of the curse. Duin's band grew in momentum over time, eventually gathering thousands to his cause. Untrained peasants and knightly hosts both came together under his banner. Zafra's deliverance would come at the turn of the era, with the beginning of Pelor's Glory. The blazing sun was taken as an omen and Duin, now known as Grand General, ordered his forces to march upon the city and in a single day, banished the creatures of the night from the city's proud walls. Zafra became a city defined by its conflicts. The city is frequently assailed, besieged and invaded by all manner of monster and man. During Pelor's Glory, the city was almost completely overrun but for the efforts of the first Grand General, Franzik Duin. Franzik Duin was a military captain serving under the Mayorship of Zafra. He seized the city with the watch and slowly forced the invaders back outside the walls of the city. Duin declared himself first Grand General and went about rebuilding and improving the city's defenses. When the Long Night began, the strong defenses of Zafra held firm. Many villagers relocated to Zafra; seeking safety behind it's significant defenses. The Chain of Command Following the death of Franzik Duin, his second-in-command was declared Grand General. Each leader following Duin has sought to replicate his revolutionary charisma though few have succeeded. Geography Zafra sits next to the river Zaf in west Etan. Structure The Grand General The Grand General is the ultimate authority in Zafra. While most Generals dedicate themselves to the highest concerns of the city, they have control over every aspect. The General is head of Zafra's state and military affairs and is responsible for the defense of the city. Retainers and Captains The elite of Zafra are all military leaders or other retainers of the General. They are delegated tasks by the General. Traditionally service to the General only ends in dismissal or death. Everyday Life Zafra is a hard city that raises a hard people. The city feeds off the same monsters that try to attack it, with most of the population acting as soldiers or hunters. There are some less military jobs, such as fishers and carpenters, though they are a minority in Zafra. Politics Domestic The control of the General is absolute and many shadowy figures seek to maintain the control of the General to prevent panic in the public. However the machinations between the high-ranking captains to become the General's second-in-command are a constant part of the political scene of Zafra. Foreign Zafra enjoys good relations with Osana and the Noble States. Institutions Duin's Keep Duin's Keep is the central keep of Zafra and the seat of power for the Grand General. The Curse of Bloody CassandraCategory:LocationCategory:EtanCategory:Settlement The Curse of Bloody Cassandra is the name given to the curse that haunts Zafra.